


In the Night

by Daerwyn



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Attempted Kidnapping, Attempted Murder, F/M, Kidnapping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-28
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-05-03 21:12:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5306969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daerwyn/pseuds/Daerwyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stolen from her bed, and dragged by a band of men for three months, she finally managed to escape. Though it was with a band of dwarves, they kept her well enough on her journey back home, at the foothills of where they called home - Laketown. The only issue she would have to face is that she had no idea just how safe she was there, nor for how long, but there is always one person she could rely on to protect her. A lonely bowman and his small family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Shadows Follow

Tallie watched the four men carefully, waiting for the moment they all became engrossed with their meals. And then she slowly rose to her feet when they were reaching for the cooking rabbit and took off. She didn’t know how much time she had until they heard her leave - or noticed her gone - but she ran through the dense trees and brush as fast as her legs would take her. They were weak, and tired from the months of forced walking, but she pushed on.

It meant her life.

“Hey!” she heard a shout behind her. And she whimpered in fear before changing directions abruptly, hoping that it would buy her more time. Within minutes, she learned that it did not.

She cried out as her arm was grabbed, and Tallie drove her foot into the person’s shin, giving herself just enough time to take off into the dense bushes again. And then she was running like the wind, her hands grasping the ragged skirts so tightly that she feared she would tear more holes through them.

Her breath was panting out of her, and she could feel her heart hammering in her chest, in her ears, in her neck, and in her vice-like grip fingers. A sudden light in the trees caught her attention and she turned towards it, and prayed that she hadn’t made a circle in the maze of the wood. But when she burst forth, instead of the four men that had taken her, there were thirteen children sized beings laying on the ground, a full grown man, and one of the half-sized ones standing, an axe brandished.

Tallie tripped over rocks in the dirt and went sprawling with a cry and landed on the soft body of someone that was… well, tiny. Voices sounded in the bushes, angry, and before she could even apologize, she quickly got off of him - it was a male, surely with the beard - she shuffled back towards the fire, her hands digging into the dirt. Tallie’s eyes did not waver from the trees as she stared at it with absolute terror. The men would surely find her here, what with the fire and the voices of the small beings being woken up and arming themselves. Dwarves. She could definitely recognize that the more time she had to look at them - with their long bears and hardened bodies. A few passed through her home town on occasion, scouting out the long abandoned mountain or city.

“How many?” a gruff voice demanded from her.

Tallie choked on her own breath, and folded her body in on itself as she sat as close to the fire as she could possibly stand. It was the most warmth she had felt in ages. “Four,” she whispered.

“I’ve got you now, you bitch!” a voice shouted in the brush. Talli flinched violently as a hand gently touched her arm. But when she glanced to the owner, it was a beardless man, not a dwarf, giving her a kind smile.

“My name’s Bilbo. And you needn’t worry. These dwarves will keep you safe.”

Tallie feared speaking would bring her captor’s attention to her, so she kept quiet, and instead gave him a small smile in greeting, but nothing more. The full grown man that was in the Company strode in front of the dwarves, his gray robes swishing in the stamped clearing. And he seemed to block her from sight as one of her captor’s stepped into view - Garfield. He had a sword in his hand, she could see that much, and the cloth ties she had worked herself out of. The dwarves shuffled, and their grip on their weaponry tightened. And she held her breath, listening as she squeezed her eyes shut, praying.

Garfield seemed taken aback at the Company, and he spoke his surprise openly. “I did not know that there were others in these woods.”

“And now you do,” the Company’s Gray Man spoke kindly. “How may we assist you?”

“A young woman ran through here not too long ago. We’re trying to find her. There aren’t too many nice things in these woods. Don’t want her to get hurt over a misunderstanding.” Oh, goodness. This was the moment she’d taste freedom before it’d be ripped from her.

“A young woman?” the Gray Man said in surprise, and Tallie’s eyes opened slowly, confused. “Why, we’ve been asleep save for hearing shouting in the bushes which I assume were you and your fellow travelers. I dare say we can’t be much help. We thought there were Orcs about, not men.” Garfield cursed, not pleased that he had missed the direction Tallie had gone in. “If she ran through here, we would have surely heard. I’m sorry we couldn’t be much help.”

“Did you have anyone on watch?” Garfield pressed. “That may have heard the trees shift or anything?”

“Dwalin?” the Gray Man asked.

“Heard nothing but the wind.” Dwalin’s grip on his axe tightened and he gave the captor a menacing look. “What are you doing with a girl out here in the first place? This is no place for the fairer folk. Especially if you plan on going into the mountains.”

“That’d be my business, wouldn’t it, halfling?” Garfield snapped. The dwarf named Dwalin gave him a glare. “Bit of a job. I’ve been told she’s dangerous and they’ll have my head if I don’t deliver her where I’m supposed to.”

“So, what’s she done?” another dwarf piped up. “Thief? Adulteress?”

“Hell if I knew,” Garfield snorted. “I just do the job. Probably done all of those things. I don’t ask. I just know she needs to be taught a lesson, and someone paid a pretty penny for it to be done. We’ve taken her all this way, we aren’t stopping now. You see her, give a shout. We aren’t too far.”

“We’ll be sure to, kind sir.” Garfield just snorted and when Tallie heard his footsteps draw away, she wondered how exactly that had worked. But all she really cared about was the fact that it had worked. And then once she knew he was far enough away, she could figure out where to go next. When the footsteps faded, she released a breath. No one moved. Not even Bilbo comforting her. It must have been nearly five minutes before the Gray Man turned suddenly.

“Now, it seems, my dear, you’ve gotten yourself into quite a bit of trouble.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Tallie rushed out, nervously eying the dwarves. She quickly continued as they still eyed her wearily. “I swear to you. I swear on my father’s life. I did nothing. They came in the middle of the night and took me from my home, I didn’t steal anything, or hurt anyone-“

“But they’ve certainly hurt you,” one of them returned. He was a blonde dwarf, and when he stepped closer, Tallie stared at him uncertainly. He dropped his two swords to the ground, moving close enough so that he could get a good look at the bruise that she knew was on her face. “Who exactly are those men?”

“I don’t know,” Tallie pressed. “I just know their names. I’ve never seen them before they took me, in my life. I think the Master hired them, he didn’t really like how I was speaking out - but I never hurt anyone or stole anything, or did anything. I would never. I have my father to look after, who was very sick when I left-“

“Hush, now,” Bilbo said as he patted her hand. “You’re alright.”

“Where do you hail from?” the balding one asked, Dwalin, and his grip on his axe wasn’t as menacing as it had been when he was facing Garfield.

But she still hesitated, wondering what that had to do with anything. “Esgaroth. The Westron name is Lake Town.” There was a shuffle as the dwarves began to glance to one another briefly. “My father was the last Master, before the new one. The new one usurped him and has forced us to live like hermits so that we do not speak out against him. I didn’t do anything. I keep my head down, I do my job, and only make comments to those that I trust. But he believes I’m going to fight for my father to have his position back-“

“And he sent you out into the wilderness, is that what you think?”

Tallie swallowed. “I don’t know who did it, I just know that he is the only one I can think of that would wish me ill. I would not try to take his position from him. My father is very ill. I could not risk being kicked out of our only home with no place to go.” Tallie lowered her gaze. “We’ve been traveling for three months now. I do not even know if he is still alive. I was the sole source of income and provided us with food. He can’t even leave the house-“

“What did you do, your job?”

“A midwife,” Tallie said quietly. “I… I know you owe me nothing, but please don’t sell me out to those men.”

“Do you know where they were taking you?”

She closed her eyes. “I heard them talking one night… They had plans to take me into the Misty Mountains, to cast me off the side of a path. Get rid of me for good.”

“Kill you.” Tallie’s head nodded once, her eyes still closed. “That’s a hefty price for just a few nasty comments.” But it was all she could think of as having done. “Well, that has it then. It just so happens that we’re heading out to Erebor ourselves.”

So they wanted to gaze at the mountain that they had lost, like the others. “We get many dwarves in Lake Town looking on that mountain. I don’t know what you hope to accomplish.”

But the one with the longest hair, that had spoken just a second before, smirked. “Indeed. That dragon’s been long dead, it’s been over a hundred and forty years, and no one so much has felt a tremor coming from that mountain. If then dragon was still alive, it’d be a miracle.”

“We’ll head that way and you can make your way back to Lake Town, if that’s where you’d rather go. Anywhere other than that, I’m afraid you’re on your own,” Dwalin spoke up.

Lake Town, where the Master was no doubt expecting news of her downfall. But Tallie had to go back to her father, if her father was even still alive. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “I… I have nothing to pay for my journey, and I know I will be a burden to experienced travelers such as yourselves, but thank you.” And she meant it so sincerely that a few dwarves shifted as tears came to her eyes.

“My name’s Fili,” the blonde dwarf spoke up.

“Tallie,” she said quietly. “Tallie Roseblum.”

“Pretty name,” the blonde dwarf said with a smile. She gave a small laugh, really hoping this dwarf wasn’t flirting on her. “Well, let’s have Oin check you for any wounds, and then we’ll give you some time to sleep, yeah? Probably haven’t had much of it.”

There was a small commotion and Fili repeated a little louder, but not too loud. “OIN, I said-”

“Oh! Right, lad!” someone spoke up, a man with a horn to his ear for hearing, but he lumbered forward, waddling almost. “Now, you don’t hurt anywhere, do you?”

“Not… that I’m aware of,” Tallie answered carefully. “The bruises hurt, and my knees from whoever I fell on. I’m sorry, I didn’t see you in the dark-”

“No harm done,” Fili grinned. “Though I’ll have bruises of my own to match yours.” She sincerely doubted that. But the dwarf began to turn her head this way and that before lifting up her arms, inspecting the hand prints in the firelight.

He tisked. “Nasty run in with someone out there. Wouldn’t happen to be Orcs would it?” Tallie felt her eyes narrow in confusion and she glanced to the other dwarves.

“Hard of hearing,” Bilbo murmured beside her. “Probably heard nothing of the exchange with that fellow.” Oh. Right. That made sense. She just shook her head politely to Oin and he had her stand on her feet. But she stumbled, a pained gasp leaving her and immediately three dwarves were steadying her.

“Where’s it hurt?”

“My foot.” Which meant slow travels. She groaned. “Well, now it’s certain. You should leave me here and I’ll take care of myself.”

“No, lass! I’m not going to take it off!” Take it off? “Looks sprained,” Oin followed up. “It could even be better in the morning.”

Tallie hoped. Staying in the forest where the men would surely find her didn’t sound appealing, but this lot had no obligation to take her anywhere, and no obligation to stay for her to be better either.

“Then we’ll decide in the morning what to do.” Tallie glanced to the dark haired dwarf in surprise. But she relaxed slightly in relief. “In the mean time, get some rest.” She stood at around the same height as the dwarf that had spoken, and Dwalin, the other dwarf around her height, gave a nod.

“Come, lass, you’ll have my bedroll while I do night duties.”

Tallie stared at him with uncertainty as he took her arm, guiding her towards it, which caused her to limp, but she handled it well enough. The other dwarves began to disperse to their own beds. “Are you sure? I can sleep on the ground. I’ve been doing it well enough for three months now-”

Dwalin gave her a soft look, very different from the stern one she had seen earlier. “Take it. I’ve already slept earlier tonight. I’ll be fine.”

Tallie gave him a smile in gratitude. “Thank you.”

“You’re short, for a human.”

“Yes, I know. Not everyone can be graced with wonderful vertical genes.” He quirked an eyebrow, but offered you a hand to get down onto the bedroll. She fidgeted with the skirts of her dress to try and cover her dirty feet, but the dwarf’s heavy cloak suddenly fell onto her.

“Get some sleep. You’ll need it.”

She had a feeling she would.


	2. Way Back Home

Her ankle was declared as moderately healed the following morning, but any long distance walking would be sure to make it worse. Which meant that she was only going to slow them down. She nervously tried to think of some plan to leave the forest without drawing the attention of anyone unsavory. She had no provisions, but surely fishing was that difficult out here? She’d just need to find the net – she would be useless to make one. And she would most importantly need to find the stream. She was sure it was a few days walk back in the direction they had come.

She didn’t know what that direction was.

She had no idea if she should even return to Lake Town on her own.

“Well, we’ll just have to carry you,” Dwalin spoke. Tallie glanced up in surprise, seeing the bald dwarf giving her a look of expectation. Expectation, she wasn’t sure for what. But she glanced to the leader dwarf, who seemed to be calling the shots.

“You guys couldn’t possibly… I weigh too much to be carried, and it’s so many miles until we’ll likely rest again-”

“It’s either that or you’re staying,” Thorin stated plainly. She doubted she’d live long alone, but inconveniencing them would just mean that they get rid of her if they saw it fit to do so. “That’s what I thought. Let’s go. We leave by dawn.”

“I-” Tallie felt her throat close up as the dwarves began to pack their things and shoulder the heavy bags. None of them could carry her. They were all her size, if not smaller. They couldn’t possibly carry her. Not that she wanted to offend them with that assessment, as she was fairly certain that their size was a touchy subject. But she stared at the group, wondering who would be the one that would carry her – and exactly how – when all of the sudden she was no longer on her feet.

She bit back a cry of alarm, knowing that the men could be near them and hear her. And once she rightened herself, quelling the feeling of panic that came with not knowing if one was falling or being held securely, she noticed who it was exactly that was holding her.

Dwalin.

“I’m much too heavy-”

Dwalin guffawed as he took a few steps with her swaying in his arms. “Nonsense! You’re lighter than my axes!” Tallie eyed the axe that was resting at his back. And carefully, almost cautiously, lifted her arms so that she could hold onto him firmly.

“Then wouldn’t you be carrying an extra axe?” she asked.

“Not when you’re lighter,” he countered. That made absolutely no sense. But she left him to think whatever he’d like.

“Thank you.”

He snorted. “Don’t get too comfortable. You’ll be walking on your own soon enough.”

She hoped.

“I mean mostly for not selling me out to those men. None of you were obligated to keep me safe, so I thank you for it.”

“As long as you can get us near Erebor, we care about whether you live or die.” Tallie didn’t say that for most of the journey she hadn’t been paying attention to where she was, mostly to who she was with, but it was better left unsaid. She cared to survive as far as she got. And though she dreamt of someone from Esgaroth coming to find her, she knew he would not. He had greater obligations than to save the babysitter.


	3. Fuzzy Mittens

It was freezing that night and the following. And while Tallie was able to walk by the next morning, the cold prevented the entire company from going far. One of the dwarves, a young fellow by the name of Ori, had been knitting away on a pair of extremely warm looking mittens.

She eyed them in envy as she tucked her hands into her skirts for some warmth. For being near the end of spring, the journey thus far had been an extremely cold one. While it wasn’t raining, which she could only thank the heavens for, there was a distinct moisture in the air that made each breath seem like it was wet and hoarse.

She hoped she wasn’t getting sick.

That was a death sentence out here, where there were no villages to heal, and hardly any worthwhile vegetation to work on healing herself.

Getting sick was a sure way of being left behind for fear of the disease spreading.

They started the journey south the following day, and the path was merely to avoid the deep bottom of the stream. The south of it would be more shallow, near where Carrock stood. She only knew her bearings because of the men she had traveled with. And the information was something the dwarves took with much welcome.

But not even the fires could keep everyone warm at night. “Surely there’s something you can do about the chill, Gandalf,” Dori pressed. “We’ll freeze out here.”

“If you are able to survive a winter in the Misty Mountains, then this weather should be nothing for seasoned dwarf travelers such as yourselves.” But Gandalf looked particularly warm. With his smoking pipe, he was seated atop a log in full access of the harsh blowing winds. “I dare say, enough of this journey has been spent in the cold that this should be a mere breeze.”

Tallie did her best not to grumble, as she clutched her skirts tighter and scooted an inch closer to the fire. Perhaps that one inch would change everything.

It did not. If anything, the closer to the fire she got, the colder she felt. It was not the air, perhaps, but indeed the wind. It was biting at her face. And she would check her fingers every few minutes to make sure that she did indeed still have them, though Tallie couldn’t very well feel them.

Movement caught her eye and she glanced up just enough to see over the fire. No one moved much save for bathroom runs, and even then, it was sparse. Only if it was absolutely dire did people get up. But Thorin was walking with his heavy coat and thick leather gloves towards Ori, who was knitting away. _How could he even feel his fingers when he knit_? No, it was not as cold as some nights in Lake Town, but she always had a thick cloak or extra layers. Now, she wore nothing more than an average spring dress – worn thin in many places from the journey and stained with the dirt and grime of travel.

But she watches curiously as Thorin said a few short words to Ori, and Ori paused in knitting, glancing down to the items, before glancing over to her. Well, not truly her, but her hands. If he could even see them. And then Ori gave a nod. Tallie felt her brow furrow in confusion and glanced back down to the fire. Were they talking about her? Had she done something? She was doing her best not to complain, because this was a privilege that she would otherwise not have without their help, and she did not want to seem ungrateful.

But while she was contemplating, she failed to notice someone coming beside her until she felt the heavy coat descend upon her. She glanced up in surprise, and Fili was standing there, with a grin. “Lost?”

“I’m afraid I’ve been lost for a very long time,” she admitted. Her numb fingers gripped the edges of the coat, and she pulled it closer, even though her words were opposite. It was incredibly warm. And he… well, he looked to be wearing a cloak, with very thick layers of clothing underneath. “But I can’t accept this. You will be cold yourself.”

“Me?” Fili chuckled, propping his knees up and resting his elbows atop them as he glanced back to the fire, his face betraying a grin. “You needn’t worry much about me. I’m quite warm actually.” One of his fingers plucked at the thick vest he was wearing. She thought it looked very much like armor, though it was cloth. “But you’ve been shivering away for the last hour.”

She snorted. “Hard not to. Not even in the town do we get winds like this.”

“It’s just because it’s autumn. Uncle says it’ll pass soon,” Fili said warmly. She glanced towards him just enough to see that his hands were clenched and partially hidden in his sleeve. He was cold.

She found herself smiling, laughing quietly to herself. “You have a good heart, Fili, much like someone I know back home. You would not let any harm come to anyone, at your own expense.”

He snorted. “That’s not quite true.”

“Regardless, you’re a good man… er, dwarf,” Tallie corrected. He chuckled. “And… you’re what exactly? Thorin’s nephew would make you a prince?”

He shrugged. “I can’t really be a prince, can I? If Thorin’s not king. We’ve got to take the mountain first, and find the stone.” Tallie swallowed at the way in which he spoke. He did not sound sad about not being a prince. In fact, he seemed rather content with it. “The only reason I came on this journey was to protect my brother.” Tallie glanced to Kili, laughing with Bofur a few feet away. But the wind howled enough to keep their conversations from merging. “He’s reckless, and he’s … I promised our mother I’d watch over him.”

“You don’t care to win the mountain, do you?”

He glanced to you, shrugging. “In all honesty, it's… it’s just a place to me. But it means something to my mother and my uncle. And it once did to my father. And I guess that’s enough for it to mean something to me.” She understood that.

“My father was the Master for as long as I could remember, and longer still before that,” Tallie said. “Life in Lake Town was good. Until fish became sparse. We didn’t have the means to build new boats to take us farther into the lake. Summers, yes, but winters… it’s a whole different ship. We were going hungry and our trade with the elves was … well, not at its height. They had their own issues to deal with. And then out of the blue, there arrives a man that declared himself leader and usurped my father, sending us into mostly solitude. I was only allowed to leave to head to the market or to do my job, but even then I was watched.” Fili glanced at her. “That was only a few years ago. So I know what it’s like to be pressured to reclaim something that wasn’t yours,” she admitted. “It’s my father’s title, and my father’s position. Something that was his birthright. And the current Master is horrible at it. My father deserves to have it back, even if it puts me in danger… like it apparently did.”

He snorted. “You don’t sound too black hearted yourself.”

She clutched the coat. “Thank you… for giving me your coat to use… It was kind of you.”

He jutted his chin across the fire towards Thorin and Ori. “You won’t be too cold for long. I imagine some gloves will help.”

Tallie frowned slightly. “He’s not giving me those clothes. He’s making them for himself.”

Fili snorted. “Thorin’s asked him to make some for you.” Tallie felt her eyes go wide. The gloves he was knitting, and risking his finger’s health over, were for her?

“Oh… I… that’s very kind of him. I didn’t know-”

Fili shrugged. “You’re cold. And you’re not dressed for any journey at all. Quite frankly, we’re surprised you made it this far like that.”

Tallie shot him a wry look. “I’m twenty-eight, not elderly.”

“And you’ve never settled? Isn’t that unusual for human women?” Tallie opened her mouth to respond but found herself closing it, swallowing back a lump in her throat. She had always wanted one that she could not have. “Forgive me, that was out of line-”

“No,” Tallie interrupted when he began to leave. Tallie grabbed his arm to keep him still. “No, it’s quite alright.” She cleared her throat, letting him go, and shrugged. “I would only settle for one. And he and my best friend were desperately in love with one another. She died eight years ago, leaving three children behind. Childbirth… And he was… devastated. I helped take care of the children, but… you don’t forget a love that deep. So I’m dedicated to my work.”

“I’m sorry.”

She shot him a look. “Why? It’s perfectly fine. He and I remain good friends, and I am like an aunt to his children. It’s more than I could ever imagine.”

“You must miss your friend dearly.”

Tallie agreed with a hum. “She was like a sister. But, all things are temporary. Just like this cold will hopefully be.”

He merely chuckled. “I hope.”

But they both knew with winter’s arrival, it would only get worse.

It was not until that night, when she settled to sleep, that there was a distinct sound of footsteps approaching. She opened her eyes, sitting upright, to see Ori standing there nervously. Of all the dwarves, he was one that had spoken the least to her in their journey together so far. But she felt that he was just rather quiet all the time, regardless of her presence.

He was giving her a sheepish smile, and his hands were behind his back. “Hello, Ori,” she greeted.

“Tallie,” he bowed. Tallie raised an eyebrow in question and he suddenly thrust something out in his hands. She recognized them almost instantly. The gloves. She glanced up to see that he was giving her a look of expectation.

“Oh, thank you, Ori, this is so kind of you,” she insisted, accepting them. They looked a tad large, but she supposed that was even better. “Truly, I mean it. Thank you.”

He dipped his head. “Thorin thought to ask. You’ve not the tough hands of a dwarf, and well… you could do well to be warm if you can.”

She gave him a warm smile that she hoped conveyed how truly grateful she was with the mittens. And they were just as fuzzy as they were thick. Slipping her hands into them, she sighed almost instantly. It was divine, and she could already feel her fingers. “Thank you, and I’ll be sure to thank Thorin in the morning when he wakes.” The dwarven leader was indeed asleep. “I truly appreciate it, Ori. They’re the finest gloves I’ve ever worn.”

He dipped his head again, in thanks. “I’ll leave you to sleep.”

“Goodnight, Ori.”

He nodded again and was gone like a leaf in the wind. She stared after him in amusement, before she curled her hands in her new gloves. They were working so well, that she was amazed they weren’t magic. And as she settled back down to sleep, her hands remained the warmest of everything.

 


	4. Fish out of the Barrel

She took lungfuls of air as they reached land, the weight of her dress pulling her closer to the ground than most of the other dwarves had been with the safety of their barrels. And as she hoisted herself onto the rocky shore, her limbs nearly collapsed. Clinging to the barrel to prevent herself from drowning had exhausted her strength in the long journey down the river. They were almost home now.

Tallie was absolutely certain. The shore was familiar. She had come here when she was a child often, sneaking out of the town and roaming the elven forest. But it had been safer then. There definitely hadn't been orcs roaming about.

"On your feet," Thorin ordered, glancing about. Tallie, subconsciously, mimicked him, almost expecting to spot an orc or two among the trees. But she could see nothing.

"Kili's wounded," Fili's voice came. "His leg needs binding."

"There's an orc pack on our tail. We keep moving." While it was the only option, it was still harsh in the way it was said. And Fili clenched his jaw, but gave a nod. Tallie rose to her feet and moved towards the blonde dwarf and his brother.

"I can help," she said quietly. She took the cloth that Fili had been using to bind the leg and met his eyes. "Take a deep breath. This may hurt." Kili nodded, his jaw clenched and his grip tightening on the rock beneath him. She first wrapped it tightly, before knotting it once, and then going around again, just as tight. He groaned at the pain, but once she tied it securely, she released him. "It'll hold until we find a place to rest. But you can't over-do it. You don't know the extent of the damage, and further damage could be permanent-"

The arrow was so sudden that Tallie jumped back in alarm, and nearly went into the path of another. When she turned her head. She would recognize that man anywhere, any day of the week.

"Do it again, and you're dead."

Tallie surged to her feet, her hands tightening in her skirts to try and dry the blood on her palms. "Bard?" The longbow he held remained firm, and did not falter, as he glanced towards her, after a careful sweep of the company of dwarves. And when he recognized her, the bow fell only a few inches.

"Tallie?" Oh, his familiar face was a welcomed sight. And she didn't think twice about taking a step forward. "What on earth...? Everyone thinks you've drowned"

She shrugged, gesturing to the dwarves. "I’ve been swimming since I could walk. I’d be dead if not for them," Tallie said, nodding her head to the dwarves. She only glanced away from Bard long enough to see that the dwarves were wary. Glancing back to Bard, he clenched his jaw, before the bow finally dropped. "It's a long story I'm not quite sure we have time for."

Bard gave a look to the dwarves, as if they were intruding on the conversation. And Tallie's grip on her wet dress tightened as she climbed over a few slippery rocks towards him. Once she reached the man of her own race, she relaxed. His presence was always a comfort, for as long as she could remember. He looked the same as the last she had seen him, though his facial hair had grown out once more - as it usually did when he was too busy to give himself any proper care. What with the house having no one else tending to it but him and his eldest daughter, she could only imagine how the last few months with Tallie not stopping by some nights to ease their strain would have been stressful. She would cook at least once a week, and mend their clothing while Sigrid still learned the stitches.

"Can you get us to Laketown?" Tallie found herself asking. It was a long shot, but anywhere from these shores was better than nothing.

"I..." He gave a sigh. "They check my ship, you know that-"

Tallie's mind raced quickly, scanning the banks for anything that could help the lot of them.  "Barrels. There are barrels on the shore. Can you do something with those? Something to conceal us."

Bard swallowed, tugging the arrow loose from the bow and slinging it over his shoulder.

"We need payment for the guards. I can’t do anything without the gold." And he did not have the gold himself. Nor did she. She had nothing but the clothing on her back.

Tallie nodded, immediately, and turned towards the wary company. "He can get us across the lake. There's no better bargemen in these parts, and nothing faster away from here." There was a murmur amongst them as they seemed to think it over. "How much gold?" Tilda asked, glancing back to Bard.

"How many barrels?"

"One for each of us."

Bard did the calculations in his head. "At least twenty, I'd wager." Twenty gold coins. It was high, but it was the price.

"Aye, we'll pay," Thorin said gruffly, stepping up beside her. His eyes darted to Tallie, assessing her, and her limp hair and soaked gown. "You trust him?”

"Yes."

He pursed his lips, but nodded firmly. "Alright, lads. Pay up. Two coins each. I'll hear no different." Thorin glanced to Tallie, and she cast her eyes down.

“I’ve no gold-”

“You’re getting us passage. It’s payment enough for saving our lives.” Tallie washing sure of that, but she nodded in understanding. They didn’t intend to leave her behind, and she doubted Bard would stand for that - if Bard even cared for her as a friend as he had before she disappeared.

There was more grumbling. But it seemed they wanted their lives more than their gold. As the dwarves gathered themselves, Bard began to haul the barrels towards his boat. Hurriedly, Tallie helped him. "Where have you been?" Bard murmured, his eyes searching her expression. Between the now yellow and nearly faded bruises, and the tears at her dress, he could guess some awful things had happened. "You just disappeared-"

"Men, in the night," Tallie said quietly. "Grabbed me and smuggled me out of the city. Heading towards the mountains. I can only speculate who hired them." Bard set the barrel down and clenched his jaw as he looked down at her. "But we need to get back to Laketown immediately."

"Why the rush?"

Tallie hesitated, and her gaze flickered back to the Company, all pulling their barrels from the water to help with the barge loading. "Orcs are following."

"Orcs?" Bard returned, his voice louder than she had hoped it would be. Thorin glanced towards the pair of them sharply, but Bard’s voice lowered and he stepped closer to his friend. “Why are Orcs chasing you?”

“It’s a long story.”

Bard clenched his jaw. “Very well. But I expect the story in full when we arrive in LakeTown.”

“Of course,” Tallie promised. She swallowed a lump in her throat. “My father… is he… is he well?”

Bard’s expression softened. “Aye. The children and I check up on him every day.” She relaxed at the news. “Those still loyal to your father help feed him… he can’t cook, so-”

“They do?” Tallie asked in surprise.

“When you disappeared,” Bard murmured. “No one knew if you’d ever come back, and when the rumor of you drowning went around… we did what we could to help.”

Tears prickled at her eyes, and Tallie reached for his arm as he made for another barrel. “Thank you,” Tallie whispered. “So much.”

“It’s the least we could do for all you’ve done us. For all you’ve done my family alone… Been there when I couldn’t.” Tallie knew he thought of the night his wife had died, and Tilda had lived. He had been away, on business south of the lake, and had not been there for her, or his children. But Tallie had, and he had never stopped being grateful. “No one with a decent mind stands with the Master, Tallie.” She knew. Releasing his hand, her fingers curling at her side, he gave her a small smile. “Now, I don’t know what business you had with the elves, but I don’t think it ended well.”

He reached for another barrel, this time having to pull a few arrows from its sides. “You could say that,” Tallie admitted. “How are Sigrid? Tilda and Bain?”

“Well,” Bard admitted, watching as she settled the barrel into place onto the barge. “Sigrid’s been taking lessons on sewing. And Bain is going to start with me in the spring.” He cleared his throat. “Extra wages.” The children were only growing. The food that could feed them years ago was not enough now. Tallie gave a small nod in agreement. “Tilda… she’s talking about studying to be a midwife.”

Tallie showed her surprise. “Truly? Well, I can help her with that.” Bard swallowed, grabbing another barrel. “She’s young, but youth is the best time to learn. But perhaps in a few years when she’s… not as wiley.” Bard chuckled, lifting another barrel and handing it towards the missing townswoman. Tallie’s arms burned with use after the endeavor on the stream, but she pressed on, setting it down in place. “Has the Master said anything about me gone?”

“You think he’s done this?”

Tallie hesitated. “I don’t know for sure. But I suspect.”

“If he’s done this, what stops him from doing it again?” Tallie didn’t know. She hadn’t thought of it much. Her only concern was returning to Lake Town, to make sure her father was well, that Bard and his children were well, that her patients were alright. “Is LakeTown even safe for you?”

“I’m not leaving my father there alone. The Master can do or say whatever he wants to me, but I’ll be more prepared this time.”

Bard gave a small nod. “If that’s your wish.”

Once the last barrel was loaded, a throat cleared near Bard. Tallie glanced up, seeing Balin standing there with a small coin pouch held out. “Here you are. I think you’ll find everything in order.”

Bard took it, bemusement creeping onto his face, though he hid it well, and he glanced into the pouch. “Very well. Get on board. We need to make it back before sunset.” And the dwarves obeyed, only too happy to leave the shores of Mirkwood forest. Tallie met Bard’s eyes, and there was an agreement to make their arrival as inconspicuous as possible. If the Master knew she was alive, and well, before she even got to the city, Tallie had no idea what he’d do.

But, like with anything involving the Master, she doubted it would be good.


End file.
